Friday, July 31, 2009

Bin two and three floors are out and Tyler swept out a lifetime of moldy grain off the floors now removed. Don't worry, I make them wear masks. Safety first.

One neighbor remarked, why did you tear that out? Well, the steel is rusty and I need new augers so I thought I would do it all at once. The floors were built too low and not enough air can get underneath to store the grain. My 18 quarter hours of Agricultural Engineering comes to work.

LuAnn is having a big barn sale today. So many people in two hours. Now over 100 cars today at 3. First day of her four day sale.

The free wagon is funny, some people will run to it first. Please, just take it!

I asked my wife how did Sable behave and she said she did great but there were two vehicles she didn't like. She barked hard and kept sniffing the vehicle.

I think people just like it here. That is good, we do too and that is why we are here.

One fellow is a drafting teacher and farms just up the road a bit. He started asking me about my crop and the next thing you know he wanted to learn how to tissue test. I hope I can help him.

I had a good judging at Owensville but man they had a flood last night. I had to park on the race track. I really wanted to watch the farmer pull tonight but I am sure it was a mess. Besides, I wanted to spend some time with my family.

I think people saw Monday's show and thought I have something better than that. Today they brought it. Beautiful crops and arrangements, the source of the county fair. This fair is enjoying 160 years this week and I hope the can keep it going.

Michelle just called so they are on their way from Columbus. Can't wait to see my cousin and Uncle Roy, dad's only brother. Michelle is my farmer cousin. Every time I visit she is in the garden.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

My good friend Jules in Missouri sent me this piece and here is what I told him.

"You knew I would like that one didn't you Jules?

You trying to get me all warmed up?

Grandpa and dad were chairmen of the Democratic party in their day and school board president like me.

They loved Harry, give em hell Harry the buck stops here.

Now I stand for no one but my family. I have no one to vote for.

Sad state of affairs.

Beer summit, give me a break.

This is how I feel. If I am wrong I will learn from it. I never voted for Nixon but I did vote for Ronald Reagean and not because he was a movie star. I liked Gerald Ford, what a mess he inherited. Sorry, never liked the Bush's. Does that make me a bad person?

Of course not. Harry was a farmer like me and dad and grandpa and I guess we just saw a lot of things the same way. Dad always said he made the most money under Truman and that helped Grandpa retire in town. It worked out well.

"Harry Truman, from Missouri, was a different kind of President. He probably made as many important decisions regarding our nation's history as any of the other 42 Presidents. However, a measure of his greatness may rest on what he did after he left the White House.

Historians have written the only asset he had when he died was the house he lived in, which was in Independence Missouri . On top of that, his wife inherited the house from her Mother.

When he retired from office in 1952, his income was a U.S. Army pension reported to have been $13,507.72 a year. Congress, noting that he was paying for his stamps and personally licking them, granted him an 'allowance' and, later, a retroactive pension of $25,000 per year.

After President Eisenhower was inaugurated, Harry and Bess drove home to Missouri by themselves. There were no Secret Service following them.

When offered corporate positions at large salaries, he declined, stating, 'You don't want me. You want the office of the President, and that doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the American people and it's not for sale.'

Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was preparing to award him the Medal of Honor on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept it, writing, 'I don't consider that I have done anything which should be the reason for any award, Congressional or otherwise.'

He never owned his own home and as president he paid for all of his own travel expenses and food. Modern politicians have found a new level of success in cashing in on the Presidency, resulting in untold wealth. Today, many in Congress also have found a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying the fruits of their offices. Political offices are now for sale. Good old Harry Truman was correct when he observed, 'My choices early in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference."

It is likely that we won't see another Democrat or Republican for that matter, like him again." I really believe that. I am hunting for the party of Common Sense, thank you Thomas Paine.

Hey, I have been wrong before and this is dangerous for a farmer to talk like this. Really? Shouldn't be. We still have that freedom and we need to defend it at all cost.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

I distinctly remember the day Charlie brought his brand new modified Cockshutt 440 Dodge to the county fair to pull. What a guy, so easy and soft spoken, must have been an inspiration to all those elementary students all those years.

Charlie is there anything I can help you with? No Ed, I think I have it covered.

That became our bylines.

A friend just emailed me Charlie passed away. Gosh, I never got to say my goodbye.

Charles Melton age 67, of Washington CH, passed away on Monday, July 27, 2009 at 12:05 p.m. at the Court House Manor Nursing Home.

He was born on August 13, 1941 in Kentucky to Cecil and Nancy Deaton Melton. He retired as a teacher for over 30 years at the Rose Avenue Elementary School.

He was a member of the Fayette County Tired Iron Tractor Club. Charles loved to build wheel horse tractors and mowers. He had also served as a volunteer fireman with the Wayne Township Fire Department. He was a graduate of Morehead State College of Kentucky.

Charles was preceded in death by his parents, son Brett Melton, brother John Melton and sister-in-law Joan Melton.

He leaves to mourn his loss, his beloved wife Linda Forsythe Melton, whom he married on December 28, 1960; daughter and son-in-law Belinda and Bob Wilson all of Washington CH, brothers Bob Melton of California, David (Donna) Melton of Kentucky, sister-in-law Miriam Melton of Texas; his wife’s parents Wayne and Velma Forsythe of Washington CH as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of friends.

The funeral service will be held on Friday, July 31, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. at the Summers Funeral Home with Joy Stanforth officiating with burial to follow at the Good Hope Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home on Thursday from 3-8 p.m.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

"The term "Dog Days" was used by the Greeks (see, e.g., Aristotle's Physics, 199a2), as well as the ancient Romans (who called these days caniculares dies (days of the dogs)) after Sirius (the "Dog Star", in Latin Canicula), the brightest star in the heavens besides the Sun. The dog days of summer are also called canicular days.

The Dog Days originally were the days when Sirius, the Dog Star, rose just before or at the same time as sunrise (heliacal rising), which is no longer true, owing to precession of the equinoxes. The ancients[who?] sacrificed a brown dog at the beginning of the Dog Days to appease the rage of Sirius, believing that the star was the cause of the hot, sultry weather.

Dog Days were popularly believed to be an evil time "when the seas boiled, wine turned sour, dogs grew mad, and all creatures became languid, causing to man burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies" according to Brady’s Clavis Calendarium, 1813."

Ole Sassy, the black lab howled at the moon every night during dog days. I had to put her in my dark garage at night so she wouldn't howl.

Sable rarely barks but when she does you better take notice.

The crop is all laid by now meaning we have done all we can do to help it. Planting, fertilization, scouting, limited pesticide as needed.

My newest helper is Tyler, an 18 year old next door. He told me that all his friends asked him why he was so interested farming now. He said that is all I hear all day.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Years ago one county I worked in had the experience of the flower judge not showing up. The lady in charge asked me if I would do it and I thought me judging flowers?

I have judged shop projects, crops, canned goods and many others.

Crop judging is the one I am probably best suited for but I ended up judging flowers of all things.

Mom always grew good flowers as it adds beauty to the farm and home. LuAnn and I think the Anabaptists take such pride in their gardens as an artistic demonstration of their faith.

Everyone should drive through Lancaster County Pennsylvania in July as we did again this year. We marvel at their gardens and landscape. It must be an ideal climate and soil for such crops.

Today my wife and I get to judge the flowers at that county fair.

I was reviewing what we must do to select the best and grade the show.

Here is a good piece from Vermont.

"EXHIBITING FLOWERS AT THE FAIR By Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor University of Vermont

Planning to enter flowers at the fair this summer? Here are some tips for blue ribbon entries.

First and foremost, flowers must be fresh. When you pick the blooms and how you handle them does make a difference in how well they will last in a cut flower arrangement.

Pick your flowers the day of the fair, preferably in the morning when the stems are filled with water. If you pick flowers in the heat of the day, they already may be partially wilted. When the stems are cut, air may enter the water-conducting vessels, blocking further water uptake.

Select only top quality blooms for your arrangements. Cut at a slant near the bottom of the stem, using a sharp knife rather than scissors, which tend to crush the stems. (Scissors work fine if thin stems. The anvil type pruners tend to mash the stems.) Plunge blooms in a bucket of tepid water to carry back to the house.

The water should be deep enough to come just below the flower heads. Use separate pails for each variety, or wrap each group in newspaper before placing in the bucket.

Indoors, precondition the cut flowers to make the arrangement last for several days. Wash the vases you'll need in hot, soapy water, rinse thoroughly with warm tap water, then fill with fresh water that is bath temperature (about 100 degrees F).

Add floral preservative to the water. You can get this at any florist shop. Without the preservative, bacteria will multiply, clogging the stem ends and causing the flowers to wilt. Place the stems in the vases and move to a cool, draft-free area. Leave there until the water cools to room temperature.

Then it's time to start arranging the flowers. But first check your fair premium book to determine the number of blooms allowed per arrangement and the classes you can enter. If the rules say six to eight blooms per entry, don't stick in ten or 12 or your entry may be disqualified. (This is also a good time to make notes about flowers you may want to grow next year for cut flower categories as well as arrangements.)

For themed categories, such as a holiday arrangement or formal table centerpiece, be creative. For these classes, the container and idea play into the judges' decision as much as the quality, choice, and arrangement of the flowers.

Recut the stems of soft-stemmed blooms under water, removing about one-half to one inch of the stem to allow better water absorption. Submerged leaves will decay rapidly, so be sure to remove all foliage that will be below the water line. Florists are no longer recommending that you crush the stems of woody plants, a practice floral arrangers--and fair exhibitors--have followed in the past.

To transport flowers safely to the fair, dump some of the water out of each vase into a larger container to avoid spillage. Bring this water with you to top off the vases when you arrive at the fair.

Pack arrangements upright in a sturdy cardboard box, using wadded newspaper to keep them separate. Do not let wind from open car windows blow directly on the flowers. Take extra blooms in case stems are broken or crushed during travel.

Give yourself plenty of time to get to the fair before the deadline for entering closes. Be sure to fill out each entry card completely. Then sit back and wait for the judges to announce the winners. One of them may be you! "

I strive to be 90% correct on my selections. Some days you are and some days you are not, that is just human nature.

I think we will do a good job after years of doing this, studying this and learning the fine art of selection and exhibition.

This county fair celebrates it's 160th fair this year so it is a long kept tradition for us in the states.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Happiness is a good crop, a new grandchild, winning the tractor pull, playing in grandpa's office.

I judged 500 crop entries at the Clark County fair in Springfield Ohio yesterday and 300 FFA crop entries. That was about all I could handle. I was mentally tired after studying all the comparisons.

They had record entries and record beautiful crops. I couldn't believe the crop from there to home, I took the back roads home and slowed down and just appreciated the crop.

I better get more trucking lined up for this crop Monday because the trucks will all be busy and full.

Then we watched the little girls while their parents went to a local wedding, can you imagine 600 people at a wedding? They had to wait 40 minutes in line just to participate.

Becky brought Liam and Caoilin over, they all get along so well together. Caoilin has grown so much in one month. Liam showed his cousins our little secret, jumping on our bed. Rule number one, don't tell grandma. I think they heard us laughing next door. Rule number two, no falling off. Rule number three, don't hit your head on bed posts. I just kept making up more rules as they got rowdier.

Kevin woke me up when I realized he was standing in my living room at midnight. Grandma wrapped around one child, another on the floor, grandpa in is easy chair, all asleep. You should have seen the look on his face when I woke up, just observing and smiling.

Shannon said they sat beside my friend Stubby. Haven't seen him in years. Used to camp at his farm, really good guy and smart farmer. He taught me always pay the interest on your farm loan first. He farms north of Dayton with his brother.

Oh boy what a day, grandma and granpa are worn out. We have to go back to work to rest up!

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Here is a good guide by Dr. Jim Schmidt at the University of Illinois.

"Exhibiting Vegetables

A vegetable garden provides you with fresh produce and an opportunity to learn about plants, and it can also give you much pride and satisfaction. Exhibiting vegetables at a fair or show gives you a chance to display the results of your efforts. In addition, it can give you the thrill of competing with others and learning about high-quality vegetables. Regardless of the ribbons you receive or the prize money you win, you will greatly profit from your experience at the fair. As an exhibitor, you can become a better vegetable grower and a well-informed consumer; you will also learn the importance of good sportsmanship. To produce prize-winning vegetables, you need to do the following:

Learn about planting and caring for a vegetable garden.

Plan to have vegetables available at the right time and in sufficient quantities so you can prepare a good exhibit at fair time.

Know the fair rules and regulations, and determine what types of vegetables can be exhibited.

Recognize the desirable qualities that the judges look for.

Become acquainted with the methods of preparing different vegetables for showing at the fair.

Learn the best methods for transporting vegetables to avoid damaging them.

Friday, July 24, 2009

They had their last package sort at DHL this morning. The county is in mourning.

"There was a mix of reactions among workers early Friday as they left the DHL Air Park following the final night to sort DHL freight in Wilmington.

There were some tears, some anger and quite a few “no comments.” But among those who did want to talk, there seemed to be acceptance of the loss of their job, combined with uncertainty about their work future in a down economy.

After aircraft were loaded for take-off, sort and ramp employees would check out at a security shack and turn in their badge. ABX Air’s last flight for the night departed at 5:13 a.m., said company spokeswoman Beth Huber.

One of the first workers approached by News Journal staff said simply, “I have nothing good to say.” He did not want to give his name.

Craig Best of Hillsboro said he wanted to train to be a firefighter, paramedic and hazardous materials specialist.

Susan Canter worked at the air park for nine years, making the 62-mile commute from Felicity for the insurance for her husband who needs a kidney transplant. Now that the job is ending, she’s unsure what she’s going to do.

“There were so many good people who worked here, better people, better workers than me,” she said. “It’s just so sad. I don’t know how else to say it. It’s sad. I used to carpool with three other girls. And now it’s just me. That ride home is gong to be long. And sad.”

David Morgensen of Midland, who worked in the sorting operation for 3 1/2 years, said DHL had “knocked” a lot of people out of work in Wilmington in just a few years time.

Trisha Weddel, who worked at the air park for 2 1/2 years, said she had a second job at a sports bar. She hopes to return to school and study business.

ABX Air President John Graber thanked workers as they left, sometimes remarking, “Be safe.”

For the life of me I cannot figure how a company would spend three, that is THREE billion in upgrades and close the place.

So many funny things going on now so who knows? Our corrupt government owns General Motors?

My neighbors who worked there are doing alright so far. We are trying to help each other and doing more barter than ever.

This county's soil, locaton and people has always made it a stomping grounds. The stomping started when the government put the SAC base here that became DHL and the Nike Missle Base which now feeds cattle and is a mentally handicapped school.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

We froze 20 quarts last night, might have one more picking from that planting.

Lots of good sweet corn came out of that Vision and Avalon planting. Thanks to Steve, Gary and Jerry for leading me to those varieties. I am sure they are busier than I am right now in harvest, they grow acre upon acre and that is their main crop.

I like sweet corn growers. They are men of the land and really like to help people enjoy their crop that makes their living. It takes a special knack to be a farmer and even more to be a sweet corn grower.

So the next time you enjoy an ear, think of the grower who dedicated his life for your pleasure.

That is really what farming is all about. Dedicating your life to God and fellow man. When someone trashes a farmer I can get upset too easily. A few earned the distinction of being trashed but 99% I have met are true hearted. Why would someone not work so hard for your best interest?

Farmers are asset rich and cash poor. I write checks every day. I handle a hundred dollars to keep one of them, pretty small return, but I love it and choose to do it.

You have to LOVE farming and it is in my blood. Generation after generation in my family were farmers. I had to go teach agriculture for awhile to get my dream.

I am living it right now. A gentle rain is falling on the crops and I just love it. Farmers love rain in July and August.

This corn is gone so now I have to eat broccoli. Which president doesn't like broccoli, was it George W?

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

We love onions. One of our favorites is Vidalia sweet onions and they are at the Kroger stores right now.

Our bag said grown by Shuman Brothers, Reesville, Georgia. Boy are they good!

Had a big slice with a Tennessee tomato on one our our juicy hamburgers.

MMM good!

I wonder how they grow them so well? Talk about a specialty market.

"Did you know the discovery of our now-famous sweet onions was actually a fluke? Farmers in the 1930s were disappointed with results from traditional row crops like cotton and tobacco. Looking for a new “cash cow,” they planted onions. Imagine their surprise when the fledgling crop turned out sweet instead of hot like regular onions!

In the early 1940s, the State of Georgia built a farmers’ market in Vidalia. It was located at the junction of many of the state’s most bustling roads, and word soon spread of an amazingly different onion, repeatedly described as “those sweet onions from Vidalia.”

Production was slow the next two decades, but “Vidalia” onions were destined for fame. Piggly Wiggly grocery store happened to have a distribution center in town, and it wasn’t long before this pioneer of sweet onions reached every corner of the state.

By the 1980s, farmers united to seek both state and federal protection of the growing region and the Vidalia name. As their onion began its ascent to national fame, local support soared. Vidalia onions had their own annual festival (1977), their own mascot—Yumion! (1980)—and became the Official State Vegetable (1990).

So, what is it about Vidalias that makes them so sweet? Southeast Georgia’s mild climate, the area’s sandy, low sulfur soil, exclusive seed varieties, and precise farming practices make this original sweet onion mild and flavorful. Today, Vidalia onions are a seasonal treat anticipated each spring by millions of consumers coast to coast.

For more information about Vidalia® Onions, contact the Vidalia® Onion Committee at (912) 537-1918."

Monday, July 20, 2009

I have been trying to learn more about Sable's breed, the German Shepherd.

"If any breed of dog is most deserving of the title Noble with Natural Beauty then that dog is the German Shepherd.

He is a dog with elegant yet flowing lines, glamorous to behold, with a shining coat, erect ears, and an intelligent expression that will command attention wherever he is seen. His eyes indicate the love and affection he has for those who care for him and his sweeping tail will show his mood whether it be gay or sad.

By nature a German Shepherd is wary of strangers, though once one is accepted by him he is a friend for life. He is an efficient obedience worker, quick to learn and what is learned will never be forgotten. It is an active breed and thrives on work—little is beyond its capabilities. Fleet of foot, powerful yet graceful and nimble, he is the epitome of those qualities considered to be ideal within a dog.

He loves human companionship and will respond to his owner’s mood whether this be lying quietly by his side or romping across the fields; indeed, at all times, his one desire is to be with you and to please you.

He has a keen sense of humor and enjoys playful games yet, in defense of those he loves, can become a frightening adversary that one would be well advised to keep clear of. He can fit into a flat or a mansion as the need may be, for he is happy wherever you are happy.

In bringing a German Shepherd into your home, you are making an addition to your family and he will quickly feel a part of it. Your house, your garden, your possessions and in fact all that you own will from then on be in his special care. He needs your love, but he needs also correct attention to his grooming, exercise, food, and general welfare. Given these, your German Shepherd will devote his very life to you and you will be the richer for this and for the companionship and love you both will share.

In a short work such as this, one cannot look too deeply into the history of the breed for this would take up a volume in itself. However, it is important that all Shepherd owners have an insight, brief though it may be, into the development of the breed for it is this development that has given us the German Shepherd we see today. Only a few early dogs and only one person is named in this history, though it will readily be appreciated that there were many dogs and many people whose efforts and sacrifices have furthered the growth of the German Shepherd.

Almost from the very dawn of mankind the dog has figured prominently. Early man quickly recognized the dog’s ability to complement those faculties in which he was weak. The dog could run better, see better, hear better and had a far more acute sense of smell than man."

I can see why dogs get into trouble because they were bred for a purpose and put in an environment where they can't use their purpose.

Sable is a farm dog. She would drive you nuts if you lived in town. She is the best scouting dog I ever saw, staying ahead of me 50 paces or so in a 90 degree arc. She just does it instinctively.

She will come back and touch base every once in awhile or come screaming by and nip your leg like she is herding sheep.

Of course we do but we are still concerned. The good thing is AC bills are down, we are sleeping better and I have been wearing long sleeve shirts to scout in which I should be anyhow! Usually it is just too hot to wear them.

"B. Climate1. What kind of weather does the commodity like?Soybeans like warm weather and lots of sun.

2. Is there a specific condition the commodity needs (full sun, shade, etc.)?Soybeans need lots of sun and moderate amounts of rain. Soybeans can withstand dry weather better than many crops.

3. Are there ideal temperatures the commodity needs?The ideal temperature for soybeans is 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit."

I know God will take care of us and we should relieve ourselves of worry.

Monday, July 13, 2009

10 years ago today I got this special email from a lady in Buffalo NY. She was working on a grant for notill for her farmers in Erie County and my name kept coming up on agriculture.com

I had just signed up for an ag singles online group and I must admit I was scared.

It wasn't that at all.

She asked honest questions about notill farming and I gave my best answers. We must have written in a way that was interesting to each other because we just kept writing.

I guess we were new kids at the keyboard.

It turned out that she was divorced with three kids, I was divorced with three kids and one day I got up the nerve to call her, I believe it was in August. We decided we should meet and she asked me to pick a place for that occasion.

I picked Geneva on the Lake, Lake Erie near Ashtabula.

On October 10, 1999, I was sitting on the tailgate of my old 1990 Dodge Dakota, just whiling the time away, kicking my legs back and forth.

Here she comes in brand new shiny blue Ford Expedition and I looked down at the licennse plates.

SOILH2O

I thought oh my God, I have met my match. I knew right then my life would never be the same.

I was so intrigied by her I drove past every gas station on the way home and ran out of gas near SR 38 on Interstate 71. I counted several hundred cars gone by until I guy finally stopped.

It was a wonderful day, long night and prediction of the future. I had to teach school at 7 AM the next morning.

On June 22, 2001, Reverend Fred Shaw performed the Native American ceremony merging of soil and water during our wedding vows. I never saw a dry eye in the place.

I will never forget the look on Uncle Roy's face as dad had just passed away January 3 that year.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

I got home and there is David Brandt at Carroll, Ohio leaving me a message on cover crops. He said Ed, Bruce Goodwin might be able to help you.

No Doubt. I met Bruce when I was the ag teacher at Blanchester many moons ago. Young kid fresh out of Wilmington College and enrolled in my Adult Farmer Classes.

What a class act. He told me one day that Ed, Pioneer is trying to get rid of their little dealers. Would you give them a note?

No, I gave them an earful. I said Bruce is one of the sources for Agronomic information in these parts, do you really want to cut him off? Local farmers DEPEND on his information.

That was one of the best pieces of knowlege I ever shared.

They got wise and didn't let him go. I think they had too much invested and they heard too from us little guys.

Bruce is just a farmer like me but he is one smart farmer.

I had him come here and look at my wheat last fall. I can call the shots but doggone it when the rubber meets the road I wil call on Bruce. He will explain all the things I have been thinking of then lay it on the line.

It is true the older you get the faster time flies. You younger readers better keep your seatbelt on.

I missed the Orleton Farm Sale. Orelton is where they found the dinosaur bones in central Ohio in the fifties. Pretty neat article if you find it.

"The central Ohio land market saw a major test June 30 as 6,001 acres passed under the gavel. The sale involved the historic Orleton Farm located in Madison County. The farm featured 5,324 contiguous acres and another 677 acres not far away. In all, the farm sported 5,549 tillable acres. Halderman Real Estate Services handled the sale.

The first round of bidding concentrated on the 25 individual tracts. After that bidding closed, the auction for the entire farm as one unit began. There were four competitive bidders for the farm as a single unit. In the end, Midwest Farms, LLC, an Indiana-based farmland investment group purchased the entire unit.

"The Orleton Farm sold above our original expected range," states Howard Halderman, President, Halderman Real Estate Services, Wabash, Indiana. "We had bidders from all corners of the United States: Florida, New York and the West Coast, as well as many local interested parties. We feel the price is well substantiated by the fact that we had over 73 registered bidders. The final outcome was not surprising as we had many inquiries into the farm as a single purchase. The sale price of $27.1 million and the number of interested parties indicates continued strength in agricultural land values in the Midwest, especially for prime farms such as Orleton."

I like to attend such sales and rub elbows with the upper crust. Money and land are just tools to get you from point A to point B so I just have fun with it. You meet the neatest people at these sales, people who made it big with a good hunch.

Some is inherited but how many interited a bunch and lost it all?

LuAnn and I have had to scratch for every nickle and it has made us better people.

When you are given too much it just makes you lazy unless you are really disciplined.

WASHINGTON, July 9, 2009 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today named Jonathan Coppess as Administrator for the Farm Service Agency (FSA). "Jonathan Coppess brings a wealth of agricultural policy experience to USDA's leadership team," Vilsack said. "His farm background will be invaluable as President Obama and I work to assure the soundness of the safety net for American farmers and ranchers."

Previously, Coppess worked for U.S. Senator Ben Nelson as his Legislative Assistant for Agriculture, Energy and Environmental policy. He joined Senator Nelson's staff in February 2006, and practiced law in Chicago for four years before returning to Washington to work on agriculture policy.

Coppess grew up on his family's corn and soybean farm in west-central Ohio, where his father and brother continue the seven-generation farming operation. He holds a bachelor's degree from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, and a law degree from The George Washington University Law School. Coppess and his wife, Susan, have a nine-month old daughter. They live in the Washington, D.C. area.

The FSA administers and manages farm commodity, credit, conservation, disaster and loan programs through a network of federal, state and county offices. These programs are designed to help producers manage their business risks and improve the stability and strength of the domestic agricultural economy."

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Just got home from our another trip to Pennsylvania. We got to Maryland, Delaware and New York. The crops look good.

The dairymen are really hurting in Pa, heard it time and again. They need more stable prices for their product. The average dairyman gets a dollar a gallon for milk and all they do is package it and haul it to us. What do you pay for milk?

Lancaster County is like the garden of Eden to us every time we visit. The fields and flowers and landscape is so beautiful, breath taking. They are in a very special area of soils and climate and they use it to the max.

Got home and my test plot is tasseling depending on hybrid. 30 hybrids replicated in one 50 acre field. It is absolutley gorgeous though I think 2004 will turn out to be a bit better but who knows.

One of the coolest stops was the Milton Hershey School I wrote about. 10,000 acre school where Milton Hershey had the dream of teaching kids how to grow up by way of a farm. He has been very successful.

I met so many nice farmers this week, I can't quote them all. My first farm was a dairyman with all IH tractors and his dad's original IH 806. I told him I had fond memories of pulling one just like it and the ball got rolling.

Another farm had all White's and Olivers. We hit it off at the beginning. So much to talk about. He was raised just like I was.

Another farm I was so embarrassed, the farmer through open the cab door on his IH rotary combine cutting wheat for me to get it. We started talking and in a few feet it died. He had pulled in a gob of of wet wheat. He said sorry but I was more embarrassed than he could ever have been. LuAnn was sitting in the car and saw and said Oh No.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

I have been working some with Merle's cousin John and got reinterested in Merle's story.

"Hennig refers to his film as a documentary of Haggard’s life and art. “I like to call it art more than just music,” Hennig said. “Because I think he’s one of the greatest poets of the 20th, and now 21st, century.”

Currently, Hennig’s crew has been on the road with Haggard and his entourage for about a week. He said they came to Bakersfield to learn more about the how Haggard grew up and about his friends and family. Hennig politely referred to Bakersfield as Haggard’s playground.

The previous night, Hennig’s production team moved about the hidden recesses of the Fox Theatre. They filmed Haggard’s Feb. 13 show not only from either side of the stage but from between cracks in curtains. Afterward they captured the mood and essence as family members and friends disappeared into Haggard’s tour bus.

The entire time, Hennig’s cameras rolled. They captured fans outside a gate and even held a camera into the tour bus windows for a glimpse of Haggard’s nightly show-on-the-road life.

As they passed along historic Route 99 the next day, Hennig was presented with the idea that Bakersfield’s old highly-valued traffic artery had undergone a transformation over the past 40 years. Fancy Basque restaurants along a stretch of a once rural motel-pocked road had fallen out of the city’s favor to become a dilapidated stretch filled with businesses, and in some areas, a shantytown of drug-infested motels where prostitutes frequent. One memorable Basque restaurant had even been gutted to become a casino.

Hennig’s fascination with Haggard began while exploring the life of Gram Parsons in the 2004 documentary he wrote and directed, “Fallen Angel.”

“Gram was influence by Merle Haggard quite a bit,” Hennig said.

In one of the film’s scenes, “Fallen Angel” documents John Nuese, a fellow Harvard student and musician of Parsons, who told him in 1965 about Merle Haggard and Buck Owens. Haggard’s and Owens’ work became much of Parsons’ building blocks as he ventured into a hybrid of rock and country that he called “Cosmic American Music.”

Parsons died in 1973 at the age of 26, but he helped spawn the country rock movement. Hennig’s film has been received as the first official documentary of Parsons and includes interviews with country music stars Dwight Yoakam and Emmylou Harris, as well as Peter Buck, Keith Richards and others.

Hennig said after he created “Fallen Angel” he wanted to learn more about Haggard, calling his life a “true American epic story.”

While Hennig notes both Haggard and Parsons both suffered the emotional trauma of losing their fathers early, he said the rest of their lives have been vastly different. He said the Haggards were a hard-working family, but not poor, and never quite fit the Steinbeck "Okie" cliche of starving dust bowl immigrants. He said they had to work for a living, and they did so with pride.

Hennig defines Parsons differently: “The most striking biographical difference is to me that during his short career, Gram always led a financially comfortable life as a trust fund kid, but never got a grip on his personal demons. He finally burned out and tragically died at the age of 26, leaving behind a great and influential, but somewhat limited, body of work. Merle however overcame the obstacles in his way, and, although struggling at times, blossomed and matured artistically, continuously creating songs that touched and continue to touch the core of the hearts of so many people.”

The pickup eventually wound along the Panorama Bluffs for views of the Kern River Oil Field before descending onto Alfred Harrell Highway to Ethel’s Corral, one of Bakersfield’s last remaining bars with a Honky Tonk theme. There, people can tie horses to hitching posts and enter the rustic building for food, drinks, and on weekends, dancing.

While outside, the film crew walked up to a giant statue of a Native American where they met a man who had been on Haggard’s baseball team. Wearing a cowboy hat and dark glasses, the man laughed that since the team didn’t win very much, they were called “Merle’s Girls.”

After interviewing some of the patrons who played Haggard’s music on a jukebox, Hennig sat down and spoke with ABC23: “He created this unbelievable body of work,” he said about Haggard. “Unlike most other country artists that are still around, with the exception maybe of Willie Nelson, he continues to do it. He’s not a cabaret act. He’s not a greatest-hits show in Vegas. He’s on the road, I don’t know, 100 dates a year, and keeps getting better. He’s still writing albums all the time. He’s writing extraordinarily great songs.”

Asked what he found fascinating about Bakersfield, Hennig said it’s “interesting to see the oilfields, the pumps, the long roads, some of the Honky Tonks. You start to get an idea of the kind of place this must have been 40 years ago.”

While Hennig spoke, just behind him a dog lay just outside the back door to Ethel’s waiting for a food scrap. Soon a truck engine started, and there was a pause while the crew prepared to drive into Oildale. They were going to make their first visit to Trout’s Bar.

Hennig sat at a picnic table and waited for the truck to drive away. He’d spent days following one of the most lasting country legends alive. In Ethel’s at least, there was no sign of a young country big band getting ready to blast the Bakersfield Sound. There was only a jukebox. “From what I understand when I talk to people from here, that magic time in Bakersfield … is probably pretty much over,” he said. “Doesn’t mean there’s no longer a scene and no longer bands playing. But unfortunately, Nashville won. At least for now.”

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

“It was Kitty’s idea,” Milton Hershey always said when he spoke of the Hershey Industrial School. “If we had helped a hundred children it would have all been worthwhile.”

Fifteen years younger than her husband, Catherine Hershey developed an undiagnosable illness circa 1901, and was increasingly sickly for years. Hershey’s father, Henry, had been highly intelligent, but not too realistic; his get-rich schemes never worked too well. Hershey did not cope well with the instability; he had attended seven different schools, yet never made it into the fifth grade,[5] so when Kitty was unable to bear children, the Hersheys decided to give needy kids the kind of upbringing he never had. Milton and Catherine Hershey established a home and a school for “poor, healthy white, male orphans between the ages of 8 through 18 years of age.”

On November 15, 1909, Hershey signed over the 486-acre (1.97 km2) farm where he had been born, complete with livestock, to start the school. In 1910, Nelson (age 6), and his brother Irvin (age 4) were the first to arrive. Their father, who had worked as a polisher in a Mount Joy foundry, had died after a long illness, and their mother couldn’t support six children by taking in laundry. Their brother William, 2, was too young to be admitted for two more years. Another pair of brothers, sons of an Evangelical church’s pastor, arrived a few days later. The first class consisted of 10 students, and by 1914, there were 40 boys enrolled in the school.

While Hershey consulted with experts on managing the school, he used three guiding principles to ensure the students had a good education, a sense of stability and security: every graduate should have a vocation, every student should learn love of God and man, and every student should benefit from wholesome responsibility. The vocational education program started with a woodworking shop, where the boys made their own beds and chests. Although Hershey was nonsectarian, claiming the “Silver Rule” as his religion, Sunday school was held regularly at the home. Starting in March 1929, the boys got the responsibility of doing daily chores in the dairy barns.

After Kitty’s death in 1915, Hershey gave his entire personal fortune - thousands of acres of land, and controlling interest in the company, worth US$60 million - to the school. He continued to be involved in the school’s operations until his 1945 death.

The organizational papers were modified in 1933, allowing the school to accept older students, and again in 1951 to change the name of the school from the “Hershey Industrial School” to the “Milton Hershey School.” In 1968, the school was racially integrated, although it wasn’t until 1970 that the organizational papers allowed that, and another modification 1976 allowed female students, who started arriving in 1977.

In 1989, the school stopped requiring students to milk cows twice daily, reflecting a changed focus from vocational to college preparatory education, but students were still required to perform chores.

Maybe you knew about his amazing school but I really never knew the story until someone explained it to me today.

Monday, July 6, 2009

If you enjoy Oreo cookies or any kind of pastry, think of us! Ohio is the number one provider of soft red winter wheat.

We used to bale all the straw but there are so few livestock around here anymore that many farmers just blow the straw back on the ground, it is loaded with nutrients.

Many farmers have Shelbourne stripper headers now and just strip the grain off the stalk. This is popular in Europe and is becoming more popular in the states. I have several friends who use stripper headers. The advantage is faster harvest speeds as you don't have all that straw running through the combine.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

I have tried to imagine what it was was like then. He had older sisters, Florence and Mildred and he was number three of nine children. Uncle Roy and Aunt Jane are still here with us.

They watched automobiles, tractors and electricity come and the out house go.

Dad taught me so many valuable lessons but the big ones were hard work and respect of others.

I am wearing a long sleeve shirt today like I do in late fall. It is 62 degrees and the crop is all stationary. It is just sitting here, waiting for heat.

Dad talked about a year like this and I think it was 1936. They cultivated corn under snowflakes. The crop was so short that buckwheat was planted and saved the farm to feed the livestock. I have always had a fond admiration for buckwheat and buckwheat pancakes.

Yesterday Dad had another Great Grandchild born. With all the girls in the family the Winkle name is becoming more extinct but the bloodlines are still here.

When I held her I was holding her for dad, too.

We love and nurture our family and try and represent our ancestors all at the same time.

It is really amazing.

Before LuAnn's dad passed last month his little great grandson spread his little self across Gordon and told him he loved him, sobbing, knowing grandpa was short for this world.

Isn't that what life is all about?

So many people are yearning for this but our families have learned how to "spread the wealth," and I don't mean money, and pass it on.